If You're A Gen Z'er, Tell Us The Things Or Customs From "Back In The Day" You Wish Were Still Around Today

Older adults are no strangers to lamenting the past...

Animated character Grandpa Lou from "Rugrats" saying, "Ha! Back in my day."
Nickelodeon

..but sometimes, things truly were better "back in the day." Like the cost of a home, for instance:

Internet meme showing text above a real estate price history table mocking generational home affordability differences. Initial sale in 1999 at $162,000, listed in 2023 for $1,400,000
u/kevinowdziej / Via reddit.com

And sometimes other, less obvious aspects made life better, too — like milk and diaper delivery to your doorstep, and even this x-ray machine in shoe stores that allowed you to see how your shoes fit before buying them:

Vintage shoe shining machine with various control knobs and footrests
YouTube: Wyoming State Museum

As a Zillennial — from sturdy appliances built to last to airplanes having chef-prepared meals on board — I'm constantly learning about the things that were actually kind of better back in the day.

An elderly woman and man are seated in an airplane, receiving meal service from a flight attendant. Other passengers are visible in the background
Bettmann / Bettmann Archive

So, if you're a Gen Z'er, what are some things your parents or older adults in your life talk about or grew up with that you wish you had?

Perhaps for you, your parents and grandparents always discuss how they could depend on anyone in their old neighborhood. While phones have made things more convenient, you also think our ability to access anything has led us to depend less on the people around us. You wish you had a culture more rooted in community.

Three women and a little girl sit on steps outside a house, with suitcases, a doll, and a small dog. The women wear casual 1950s attire
Mike Kurtz / Getty Images

Maybe you grew up on your family's farm, and you don't think people realize that food really was better back when it was based on what was seasonally available or local to the region. You get to experience it on the farm, but when you're in the city, you're shocked at how bland fruit and vegetables are since they're produced for appearance, size, and longevity rather than taste.

Three people harvest leafy green vegetables and red lettuce on a farm. One person is crouched, another holds a green crate, and another stands with a wooden box
Tom Werner / Getty Images

Maybe you're getting into old movies with your dad, and you were amazed to learn that during Hollywood's "Golden Age," cartoons and shorts used to play before films in the movie theater, rather than commercials.

Several musicians play saxophones in a studio while Walt Disney oversees an animation of Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse projected on the screen behind them
Ullstein Bild Dtl. / ullstein bild via Getty Images

So, if you're a Gen Z'er, what are some things or customs from "back in the day" that you wish still existed today? Let me know in the comments, or by using this anonymous form. Your response could be featured in an upcoming BuzzFeed Community post.